1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to containers for carrying survival equipment on seagoing vessels and particularly on sailing vessels.
2. Description of Related Art
Heretofore, survival equipment for use in "abandon ship" situations has been kept aboard sailboats, for example, in bag-type containers, and has been stored below the deck secured in a locker. One example of an "abandon ship bag" known in the art is made of a waterproof, rip-stop nylon filled with some type of flotation material, and employs a zipper closure. The survival equipment is stored inside the bag. This type of survival equipment container suffers from several drawbacks, for example, the material from which the bag is made is not suited to be left for extended periods in areas above the deck and exposed to the elements. Further, the use of a zipper all but eliminates the waterproof characteristics of the bag. The zipper will also corrode in a salt water atmosphere, preventing access to the contents of the bag.
Because the bag must be stored below the deck, it will likely be inaccessible in many boating emergencies which simply do not allow time for a crew member to go below and retrieve the bag. In addition, in situations where the crew must abandon ship, chaos, confusion and even panic can lead to a failure to realize the need to retrieve the bag containing the survival equipment.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,962,740, issued to White, recognizes the problems associated with storing survival equipment in a locker below the deck of the boat. A survival kit is described in that patent as being containerized and attached to the underside of the hull of the boat. While this device avoids the problems associated with storing survival equipment below the deck, it has several drawbacks of its own. The container will be substantially constantly exposed to and submerged in water, which can cause even the most "watertight" containers to experience leaks. The presence of the container or containers on the hull will likely also affect the performance of the boat, which may not be acceptable to the more serious or competitive sailors. The attachment means are necessarily quite elaborate, in order that the containers are securely fastened against unintended separation. Finally, the place of attachment does not permit access to the container unless the boat is capsized or overturned, thereby being of no use to the crew in certain boating emergencies in which the boat remains upright.
Examples of life saving equipment and the means for carrying such equipment on boats or other vessels may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,879, issued to Burr; U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,002, issued to Higgs; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,754,291, issued to Harris et al. Prior to the present invention, there has been no disclosure of a suitable container for storing survival equipment above the deck of a boat which can be readily accessed and taken overboard in emergency boating situations.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a container for storing survival equipment aboard a boat or ship which can be conveniently be stored above the deck in a readily accessible location in the event of an emergency situation.
It is a further important object of the present invention to provide a container for storing survival equipment on a boat or ship which is easily and conveniently handled by one crew member.
It is a further important object of the present invention to provide a container for storing survival equipment aboard a boat or ship which has a simple means for securing the container in place, permitting a quick unfastening of the container from its secured location in an emergency situation.
It is a further important object of the present invention to provide a container for storing survival equipment aboard a boat or ship wherein the securing means also operates as a tether permitting a crew member to tether the container to himself or herself when the container is unfastened from its secured location.
It is a further important object of the present invention to provide a container having the above features storing at least one item of survival equipment.